Modular cross car beam assembly

ABSTRACT

A modular cross car beam assembly for use with a vehicle includes an intermediate beam section, a driver side beam section, and a passenger side beam section. Furthermore, the driver side beam section and the passenger side beam section are attachable on either side of the intermediate beam section depending on whether the vehicle is a left-hand-drive vehicle or a right-hand-drive vehicle.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates to a cross car beam assembly for a motor vehicle.

BACKGROUND

A cross car beam assembly is a structural member that typically extendsbetween side pillars, which may be referred to as A-pillars, of a motorvehicle. An example cross car beam assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 6,560,872.

SUMMARY

A modular cross car beam assembly for use with a vehicle includes anintermediate beam section, a driver side beam section, and a passengerside beam section. Furthermore, the driver side beam section and thepassenger side beam section are attachable on either side of theintermediate beam section depending on whether the vehicle is aleft-hand-drive vehicle or a right-hand-drive vehicle.

While exemplary embodiments are illustrated and disclosed, suchdisclosure should not be construed to limit the claims. It isanticipated that various modifications and alternative designs may bemade without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective rear view of a cross car beam assembly,according to the disclosure, for use with a left-hand-drive vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective rear view of a cross car beam assembly,according to the disclosure, for use with a right-hand-drive vehicle;

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a fragmentary, exploded perspective view and afragmentary top view, respectively, of a connection arrangement forjoining a beam section of the cross car beam assembly to a safety unit;

FIGS. 4A and 4B show a fragmentary, exploded perspective view and afragmentary top view, respectively, of another connection arrangementfor joining a beam section of the cross car beam assembly to a safetyunit;

FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C are various views of another embodiment of a safetyunit connected to beam sections of the cross car beam assembly;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the circledportion, identified with reference numeral 6, of the cross car beamassembly shown in FIG. 1, and showing an example configuration of atapered joint for joining together adjacent beam sections of the crosscar beam assembly;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the portion of the cross carbeam assembly shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary rear view of the portion of the cross car beamassembly shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 8 andviewed in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the circledportion, identified with reference numeral 10, of the cross car beamassembly shown in FIG. 1, and showing another example configuration of atapered joint according to the disclosure for joining together adjacentbeam sections of the cross car beam assembly;

FIGS. 11A and 11B are exploded, fragmentary perspective views of anotherembodiment of a tapered joint for joining together adjacent beamsections;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary front view of the tapered joint shown in FIGS.11A and 11B; and

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 13-13 in FIG. 12, andviewed in the direction of the arrows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments are disclosed herein; however, it isto be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary,and that various and alternative forms may be employed. The figures arenot necessarily to scale. Some features may be exaggerated or minimizedto show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structuraland functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted aslimiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilledin the art.

FIG. 1 shows a cross car beam assembly 10 according to the disclosurefor use with a vehicle 12 having a vehicle body 13. The cross car beamassembly 10 is a structural member that is attachable to the vehiclebody 13 in any suitable manner, such as with fasteners and/or adhesive,to provide structural support to the vehicle body 13. For example, thecross car beam assembly 10 may be connected to and extend between firstand second side pillars 14 and 16, respectively, such as A-pillars, ofthe vehicle body 13. The cross car beam assembly 10 may also providesupport to various vehicle components or elements, as explained below indetail.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the cross car beam assembly 10 is amodular cross car beam assembly having a first beam section orintermediate beam section 18, a second beam section or driver side beamsection 20 and a third beam section or passenger side beam section 22.Furthermore, the driver side beam section 20 and the passenger side beamsection 22 are attachable on either side of the intermediate beamsection 18 depending on whether the vehicle 12 is a left-hand-drivevehicle or a right-hand-drive vehicle. In the embodiment shown in FIG.1, the vehicle 12 is a left-hand-drive vehicle, so the driver side beamsection 20 is on the left side of the cross car beam assembly 10, andthe passenger side beam section 22 is on the right side of the cross carbeam assembly 10. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 12′ isa right-hand-drive vehicle, so the driver side beam section 20 is on theright side of the cross car beam assembly 10, and the passenger sidebeam section 22 is on the left side of the cross car beam assembly 10.Furthermore, the driver side beam section 20 and the passenger side beamsection 22 may have the same or similar length and end configurations tofacilitate attachment on either side of the intermediate beam section18.

The cross car beam assembly 10 further includes first and second endbeam sections 24 and 26, respectively, disposed at opposite ends of thecross car beam assembly 10. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the firstend beam section 24 is attached to the driver side beam section 20, andthe second end beam section 26 is attached to the passenger side beamsection 22. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the first end beamsection 24 is attached to the passenger side beam section 22, and thesecond end beam section 26 is attached to the driver side beam section20. Furthermore, each end beam section 24, 26 includes an upper portion28 configured to be connected to the driver side beam section 20 or thepassenger side beam section 22, and a lower portion 30 that isconfigured to be spaced away from the intermediate beam section 18 whenthe cross car beam assembly 10 is assembled together.

The upper portions 28 of the end beam sections 24, 26 cooperate with theintermediate beam section 18 (e.g., an upper portion 31 of theintermediate beam section 18), the driver side beam section 20, and thepassenger side beam section 22 to define a beam having a continuousupper beam section or part that extends from a first end 32 of the beamto an opposite second end 34 of the beam. As a result, the continuousupper beam part provides continuous rigid structure that extends fromthe first end 32 of the beam to the second end 34 of the beam.

Each lower portion 30 of the end beam sections 24, 26 may be spaced awayfrom the intermediate beam section 18 (e.g., an upright side member 35of the intermediate beam section 18, or a support bracket attached tothe side member 35) by a distance in the range of 15 to 65 cm, or 25 to65 cm, or 30 to 60 cm for example. As another example, each lowerportion 30 may be spaced away from the intermediate beam section 18 byat least 15 cm, or at least 25 cm, or at least 30 cm.

The cross car beam assembly 10 may further include one or more safetyunits, such as airbag assemblies or modules, energy management brackets(e.g., plastically deformable brackets), etc., that are each connectedto the intermediate beam section 18 and a respective end beam section24, 26 at first and second joints, respectively. In the illustratedembodiment, the cross car beam assembly 10 includes first and secondsafety units 36 and 38, respectively, connected between the intermediatebeam section 18 and the first and second end beam sections 24 and 26,respectively. Specifically, the first safety unit 36 is connected to theintermediate beam section 18 (e.g., a support bracket attached to theleft side member 35 and/or an intermediate lateral member or portion 39of the intermediate beam section 18) and the lower portion 30 (e.g., asupport bracket of the lower portion 30) of the first end beam section24, and the second safety unit 38 is connected to the intermediate beamsection 18 (e.g., a support bracket attached to the right side member 35and/or the intermediate lateral member 39 of the intermediate beamsection 18) and the lower portion 30 (e.g., a support bracket of thelower portion 30) of the second end beam section 26. Each safety unit36, 38 includes a rigid portion or member 40, such as a supportstructure, frame, base, housing or housing portion, that is configuredto be connected to, and span the distance between, the intermediate beamsection 18 and the lower portion 30 of a respective end beam section 24,26, so that each rigid member 40 cooperates with the intermediate beamsection 18 (e.g., the intermediate lateral member 39 of the intermediatebeam section 18) and the lower portion 30 of the end beam section 24 or26 to provide continuous rigid structure from an outer end of the endbeam section 24 or 26 to an end of the intermediate beam section 18opposite the safety unit 36, 38. Furthermore, the rigid members 40cooperate with the lower portions 30 of the end beam sections 24, 26 andthe intermediate beam section 18 (e.g., the intermediate lateral member39) to provide continuous rigid structure along a lower beam section orpart from the first end 32 of the beam to the second end 34 of the beam,so that the lower beam section of the cross car beam assembly 10 issubstantially inflexible (e.g., flexes less than 1.0 mm, or less than0.5 mm, over a length of 100 mm with a load of 1 kilonewton (kN) appliedin a transverse direction) during normal use conditions of the vehicle10. More generally, each rigid member 40 is configured to cooperate withfirst and second portions (e.g., a portion of one of the end beamsections 24, 26 and a portion of the intermediate beam section 18) ofthe cross car beam assembly 10 to provide continuous rigid structurefrom the first portion to the second portion, so that the cross car beamassembly 10 is substantially inflexible (e.g., flexes less than 1.0 mm,or less than 0.5 mm, over a length of 100 mm with a load of 1 kN appliedin a transverse direction) from an outer end of the first portion to anouter end of the second portion during normal use conditions of thevehicle 10. Furthermore, the joints between each rigid member 40 and thefirst and second portions of the cross car beam assembly 10 may beconfigured to brace each end of each rigid member 40 in at least threedifferent directions (e.g., x, y and z directions) so that each rigidmember 40 may be inhibited or prevented from moving with respect to thefirst and second portions in any direction.

In the illustrated embodiment, each safety unit 36, 38 is an airbagassembly, and each rigid member 40 is a housing, or part of a housing,of the associated airbag assembly. Furthermore, each housing receives orhouses an airbag (not shown) of the associated airbag assembly, and eachhousing is openable to release the airbag during deployment of theairbag. For example, each housing may have a cover 41 that is pivotableor otherwise movable with respect to a rigid housing base 42 duringdeployment of the associated airbag. In addition, each housing, or atleast the housing base 42, is made of a rigid material, such as metal,plastic and/or a composite material, and each housing (e.g., housingbase 42) is connected to the intermediate beam section 18 and the lowerportion 30 of a respective end beam section 24, 26 in any suitablemanner, such as with one or more fasteners 43 (e.g., screws or bolts).Furthermore, each end of each housing may include a locating tab 44 thatis insertable into a slot formed in a downwardly facing section orsupport bracket portion of the intermediate beam section 18 or the lowerportion 30 of a respective end beam section 24, 26 for properly locatingthe housing with respect to the beam sections 18, 24, 26.

Referring to FIGS. 3A-4B, alternative attachment schemes are shown forconnecting each of the safety units 36, 38 to respective beam sections,such as the intermediate beam section 18 and the lower portion 30 of arespective end beam section 24, 26. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3Aand 3B, the rigid member 40 of the safety unit 36 includes one or moreupwardly oriented, integral interlocking features or connection features46, such as receptacles, tabs or legs, at one end that mate with, orotherwise cooperate with, one or more corresponding integralinterlocking features or connection features 48, such as receptacles,tabs or legs, formed on the lower portion 30 of the first end beamsection 24 to interlock the components together, or otherwise facilitateconnection of the components. For example, the connection features 46may be molded, cast, stamped, or otherwise formed onto or into a mainbody of the rigid member 40, or attached (e.g., welded and/or adhesivelyattached) to a main body of the rigid member 40. Likewise, theconnection features 48 may be molded, cast, stamped, or otherwise formedonto or into a main body of the lower portion 30, or attached (e.g.,welded and/or adhesively attached) to a main body of the lower portion30. One or more fasteners 43, such as upwardly oriented screws or bolts,may also be used to connect the rigid member 40 to the first end beamsection 24. It should be understood that the opposite end (not shown) ofthe rigid member 40 of the safety unit 36 may be connected to theintermediate beam section 18 (not shown) in the same or similar manner.Likewise, the safety unit 38 may be connected to the intermediate beamsection 18 and the lower portion 30 of the second end beam section 26 inthe same or similar manner. As another example, the connection featuresshown in FIGS. 3A and 3B may be switched between the rigid member 40 ofa respective safety unit 36, 38 and the beam sections 18, 24, 26.

Furthermore, the connection features 46, 48 associated with each rigidmember 40 and corresponding beam sections may cooperate to brace therigid member 40 in a longitudinal direction and/or lateral direction ofthe vehicle 12 when the cross car beam assembly 10 is mounted to thevehicle 12. For example, the respective connection features 46, 48 mayhave engagement faces that extend transverse to the longitudinaldirection of the vehicle 12, and that are engageable with each other tobrace each end of each rigid member 40 in forward and rearwarddirections of the vehicle 12 to inhibit or prevent movement of eachrigid member 40 in the forward and rearward directions. In addition, oras an alternative, the respective connection features 46, 48 associatedwith each end of each rigid member 40 may have engagement faces thatextend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 12, or generally inthe longitudinal direction (e.g., within +/−30° or +/−20° or +/−10° ofthe longitudinal direction of the vehicle 12), and that are engageablewith each other to brace the left end of each rigid member 40 in theleft direction of the vehicle 12 and to brace the right end of eachrigid member 40 in the right direction of the vehicle 12 to inhibit orprevent lateral movement of each rigid member 40. As another example,end faces of each rigid member 40 may be engageable with end faces ofthe corresponding beam sections 18, 24, 26 to laterally brace each rigidmember 40. Referring to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, upwardly anddownwardly facing engagement surfaces of each rigid member 40 andcorresponding beam sections 18, 24, 26 may also be engageable with eachother to brace each rigid member 40 in a vertical direction (e.g., zdirection) to inhibit or prevent movement of each rigid member 40 in thevertical direction.

As yet another example, each end of each safety unit 36, 38 may beconnected to a respective beam section with an upwardly orientedinterlocking feature or connection feature formed on one component thatis received between offset interlocking features or connection featuresformed on the other component. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A and4B, for example, the rigid member 40 of the safety unit 36 includes anupwardly oriented, integral connection feature 50, such as a tab orprojection, at one end that is received between, or otherwise mateswith, vertically and horizontally offset connection features 52, such astabs or projections, formed on the lower portion 30 of the first endbeam section 24 to interlock the components together. In the illustratedembodiment, each connection feature 50, 52 also has an opening, such asa threaded opening, for receiving a fastener 43, such as a laterallyoriented screw or bolt, to join the components together. Furthermore,the two fasteners 43 shown each in each of FIGS. 4A and 4B are orientedin opposite directions when inserted into the threaded openings. Itshould also be understood that the opposite end (not shown) of the rigidmember 40 of the safety unit 36 may be connected to the intermediatebeam section 18 (not shown) in the same or similar manner. Likewise, thesafety unit 38 may be connected to the intermediate beam section 18 andthe lower portion 30 of the second end beam section 26 in the same orsimilar manner. In addition, the connection features shown in FIGS. 4Aand 4B may be switched between the rigid member 40 of a respectivesafety unit 36, 38 and the beam sections 18, 24, 26. Furthermore, asmentioned above, the connection features 50, 52 associated with eachrigid member 40 and corresponding beam sections may cooperate to bracethe rigid member 40 in the longitudinal direction and/or lateraldirection of the vehicle 12 when the cross car beam assembly 10 ismounted to the vehicle 12. For example, the respective connectionfeatures 50, 52 may have engagement faces that extend transverse to thelongitudinal direction of the vehicle 12, and that are engageable witheach other to brace each end of each rigid member 40 in forward andrearward directions of the vehicle 12 to inhibit or prevent movement ofeach rigid member 40 in the forward and rearward directions. Likewise,the respective connection features 50, 52 may have engagement faces thatare engageable with each other to brace each rigid member 40 in left andright directions of the vehicle 12 to inhibit or prevent movement ofeach rigid member 40 in the left and right directions.

FIGS. 5A-5C show another example safety unit 36′ formed as an energymanagement bracket. The energy management bracket 36′ includes a rigidmember 40′, such as a rigid portion or frame (e.g., rectangular frame orlaterally extending member), connected in any suitable manner to theintermediate beam section 18 and the lower portion 30 of the first endbeam section 24 (or the lower portion 30 of the second end beam section26 if the energy management bracket is positioned on the right side ofthe vehicle). For example, the rigid member 40′ may be screwed or boltedto the beam sections 18, 24. In the illustrated embodiment, the beamsections 18, 24 include integral connection features 53, formed asnotches, recesses, or lips, for example, that each receive or otherwisecooperate with an end portion of the rigid member 40′. For example,those connection features 53 may define upright abutment edges 53 a thatcooperate with end edges of the rigid member 40′ to brace the rigidmember 40′ in the lateral direction. More specifically, the abutmentedge 53 a on the end beam section 24 may cooperate with (e.g., engage)the left end edge of the rigid member 40′ to inhibit or prevent movementof the rigid member 40′ to the left, and the abutment edge 53 a on theintermediate beam section 18 may cooperate with (e.g., engage) the rightend edge of the rigid member 40′ to inhibit or prevent movement of therigid member 40′ to the right. In addition, or as an alternative, eachconnection feature 53 may define one or more laterally extendingabutment edges 53 b that cooperate with (e.g., engage) the rigid member40′ to inhibit or prevent movement of the rigid member 40′ in thevertical direction (e.g., z direction), and/or an abutment surface 53 cthat cooperates with (e.g., engages) the rigid member 40′ to inhibit orprevent movement of the rigid member 40′ in the longitudinal directionof the vehicle (e.g., in a forward direction of the vehicle).

The energy management bracket 36′ further includes a plasticallydeformable portion 54 connected in any suitable manner to the rigidmember 40′ and positioned rearward of the rigid member 40′ when thecross car beam assembly 10 is mounted in the vehicle 12. For example,the plastically deformable portion 54 may be bolted, screwed and/oradhesively attached to the rigid member 40′. In the illustratedembodiment, the plastically deformable portion 54 includes contactportions 56 and 58 that are generally alignable with knees of a vehicleoccupant when the cross car beam assembly 10 is mounted in the vehicle12, and the occupant is sitting in a vehicle seat (not shown) directlybehind the energy management bracket 36′. The rigid member 40′ and theplastically deformable portion 54 may each be made of any suitablematerial, such as plastic, metal, and/or composite material, but therigid member 40′ is configured to be more rigid than the plasticallydeformable portion 54 so that the rigid portion 40′ remainssubstantially inflexible (e.g., flexes less than 1.0 mm, or less than0.5 mm, over a length of 100 mm with a load of 1 kN applied in atransverse direction) during normal use conditions, and so that theplastically deformable portion 54 may deform prior to the rigid member40′ during an impact event. For example, the rigid member 40′ may bemade of a more rigid material and/or have a greater thickness than theplastically deformable portion 54. Furthermore, the plasticallydeformable portion 54 is configured to plastically deform (e.g.,crumple) during an impact event in order to manage (e.g., absorb ordistribute) impact energy associated with the vehicle occupant, forexample.

Each of the beam sections 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 may likewise be made ofany suitable material, such as metal, plastic and/or a compositematerial. Example metals include magnesium, aluminum and/or steel.Example plastics include polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene(ABS) and/or nylon, with and without fillers including minerals and/orglass (e.g., fibers), for example. Example composite materials includecarbon, glass and/or mineral filled materials, tape based materials andany combination of the previously mentioned materials. Furthermore, onebeam section 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 may be made of one material, and anotherbeam section, such as an adjacent beam section, may be made of anothermaterial. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the beam sections 18,20, 22, 24 and 26 also has a lattice or grid structure that includes aplurality diagonally extending, interconnected webs. Such a structuremay provide significant rigidity combined with light weight.

As mentioned above, the cross car beam assembly 10 may also providesupport to various vehicle components or elements. For example, thedriver side beam section 20 may support a steering column and steeringwheel (not shown), the passenger side beam section 22 may support aglovebox frame (not shown), and the intermediate beam section 18 maysupport instrument panel elements (not shown), such as a radio, anavigation system, and/or a climate control system. Furthermore, thecross car beam assembly 10 may include various support brackets (notshown) connected to the beam sections 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 for supportingthe above elements.

In addition, the beam sections 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 may be connectedtogether in any suitable manner, such as with one or more fastenersand/or welds. Furthermore, opposite ends of the upper portion 31 of theintermediate beam section 18 and inner ends of the upper portions 28 ofthe end beam sections 24 and 26 may have the same or similarconfiguration (e.g., attachment configuration), and opposite ends ofeach of the side beam sections 20 and 22 may also have the same orsimilar configuration (e.g., attachment configuration), which iscomplementary to the configuration of the ends of the upper portion 31of the intermediate beam section 18 and the inner ends of the upperportions 28 of the end beam sections 24 and 26, to facilitate attachmentof each side beam section 20, 22 on either side of the intermediate beamsection 18. For example, opposite ends of the upper portion 31 of theintermediate beam section 18 may have mirror-image configurations (e.g.,attachment configurations), and the inner ends of the upper portions 28of the end beam sections 24 and 26 may also have mirror-imageconfigurations (e.g., attachment configurations) so that the left end ofthe upper portion 31 of the intermediate beam section 18 has the sameconfiguration as the inner end of the upper portion 28 of the end beamsection 26, and so that the right end of the upper portion 31 of theintermediate beam section 18 has the same configuration as the inner endof the upper portion 28 of the end beam section 24. Likewise, oppositeends of each of the side beam sections 20 and 22 may have mirror imageconfigurations (e.g., attachment configurations) so that the ends of thedriver side beam section 20 have the same configuration as the ends ofthe passenger side beam section 22, and so that the left end of eachside beam section 20, 22 is complementary to the inner end of the upperportion 28 of the end beam section 24 and the right end of the upperportion 31 of the intermediate beam section 18, and the right end ofeach side beam section 20, 22 is complementary to the inner end of theupper portion 28 of the end beam section 26 and the left end of theupper portion 31 of the intermediate beam section 18.

In the illustrated embodiment, adjacent beam sections are connectedtogether by at least one tapered joint 60, such as a dovetail joint,that is tapered in two different directions, as explained below indetail. Furthermore, each tapered joint 60 may include at least oneengagement member or structure, such as a projection or tenon, formed onone beam section, and at least one mortise, such as a socket, formed onanother beam section that receives one or more of the engagementstructures formed on the one beam section. Moreover, for each taperedjoint 60, each engagement structure is tapered in a first direction anda second direction different than the first direction, and eachcorresponding socket is also tapered in the first direction and thesecond direction.

Referring to FIGS. 6-9, for example, each tapered joint 60 may includetwo engagement structures, such as projections 62, formed on one beamsection, such as the driver side beam section 20, and two sockets 64formed on the adjacent beam section, such as the first end beam section24. Furthermore, each projection 62 is tapered in a first direction 66a, 66 b, such as a longitudinal direction relative to the cross car beamassembly 10 and the vehicle 12, and a second direction 68 a, 68 b, suchas a lateral direction relative to the cross car beam assembly 10 andthe vehicle 12, that is different than the first direction 66 a, 66 b.In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6-9, the first direction 66 a extendslongitudinally in a rearward direction relative to the vehicle 12, andthe second direction 68 a extends laterally to a right side of thevehicle 12 when the cross car beam assembly 10 is installed in thevehicle 12. Likewise, each socket 64 is also tapered in the firstdirection 66 a and the second direction 68 a. As another example, thefirst direction 66 b may extend in a forward direction relative to thevehicle 12 when the cross car beam assembly 10 is installed in thevehicle 12, and/or the second direction 68 b may extend laterally to aleft side of the vehicle 12 when the cross car beam assembly 10 isinstalled in the vehicle 12. Referring to FIG. 10, for example, thetapered joint 60 formed between an opposite end of the driver side beamsection 20 and the intermediate beam section 18 may include twoprojections 62 formed on the driver side beam section 20, wherein eachprojection 46 is tapered in the first direction 66 a and the seconddirection 68 b. Likewise, that tapered joint 60 may include two sockets64 that are also each tapered in the first direction 66 a and the seconddirection 68 b.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, each projection 62 may be tapered in thefirst direction 66 a, 66 b at any suitable angle, such as an angle α inthe range of 1 to 10° or 2 to 5° (e.g., 3.5°, or more particularly3.56°), and each projection 62 may also be tapered in the seconddirection 68 a, 68 b at any suitable angle, such as an angle β in therange of 10 to 45° or 10 to 30° (e.g., 20°). Likewise, each socket 64may be tapered in the first direction 66 a, 66 b at any suitable angle,such as an angle α in the range of 1 to 10° or 2 to 5° (e.g., 3.5°, ormore particularly 3.56°), and each socket 64 may also be tapered in thesecond direction 68 a, 68 b at any suitable angle, such as an angle β inthe range of 10 to 45° or 10 to 30° (e.g., 20°).

In the above embodiment, the first direction 66 a, 66 b and the seconddirection 68 a, 68 b are generally transverse or perpendicular to eachother. As another example, the first direction 66 a, 66 b may extend atany suitable angle with respect to the second direction 68 a, 68 b. Forexample, the first direction 66 a, 66 b may extend at an angle in therange of 80 to 100° with respect to the second direction 68 a, 68 b.

Although the tapered joints 60 are described above with respect to theintermediate beam section 18, the driver side beam section 20 and thefirst end beam section 24, each tapered joint 60 between adjacent beamsections 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 may have the same or similar configuration.Furthermore, each tapered joint 60 may be formed with any suitablenumber of engagement structures, such as projections 62, and sockets 64to facilitate joining the beam sections 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 together. Inaddition, one or more tapered joints 60 may include a projection 62formed on each of two adjacent beam sections, and a socket 64 formed oneach of the two adjacent beam sections for receiving a respectiveprojection 62.

In one embodiment, for each tapered joint 60, the corresponding one ormore engagement structures (e.g., projections 62) and one or moresockets 64 may all be tapered in the same first direction 66 a or 66 b.However, the one or more engagement structures (e.g., projections 62)and/or one or more sockets 64 on opposite ends of the intermediate beamsection 18, as well as on opposite ends of each of the side beamsections 20 and 22, may be tapered in a different second direction 68 aor 68 b. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for example, all ofthe projections 62 and sockets 64 are tapered in the first direction 66a. The projections 62 on the left side of the driver side beam section20 and the projections 62 on the left side of the passenger side beamsection 22 are tapered in the second direction 68 a, and the projections62 on the right side of the driver side beam section 20 and theprojections 62 on the right side of the passenger side beam section 22are tapered in the second direction 68 b. Likewise, the sockets 64 onthe left side of the intermediate beam section 18 are tapered in thesecond direction 68 b, and the sockets 64 on the right side of theintermediate beam section 18 are tapered in the second direction 68 a.Such a configuration may facilitate positioning of each of the side beamsections 20, 22 on either side of the intermediate beam section 18.

With the above configuration, adjacent beam sections 18, 20, 22, 24, 26may be connected together by sliding one beam section relative to theother beam section in the first direction 66 a or 66 b, for example, sothat the one or more engagement structures (e.g., projections) formed onthe one beam section mate with, or are received by, the one or moresockets on the other beam section. Furthermore, each tapered joint 60may utilize opposing draft angles (e.g., for molded or cast parts) ofthe projections and sockets as tapered contact surfaces. Those contactsurfaces may function as integral reaction surfaces designed to counterforces imparted on the cross car beam assembly 10 during vehicleoperation. For example, the tapered contact surfaces of each taperedjoint 60 may brace the associated beam sections in longitudinal, lateraland/or vertical directions of the vehicle.

Referring to FIGS. 6-9, each tapered joint 60 may also include anopening 70 formed in each adjacent beam section, and the openings 70 arealignable with each other when the cross car beam assembly 10 isassembled together. Furthermore, a fastener 72, such as a screw or bolt,is insertable into the aligned openings 70 to assist in attaching theadjacent beam sections together. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6-9,each opening 70 is positioned between the projections 62 or the sockets64 of the respective beam section 20, 24.

In addition or as an alternative to the fastener 72, each tapered joint60 may include any suitable secondary or further attachment means. Forexample, each tapered joint 60 may be glued (e.g., with any suitableadhesive) and/or welded together.

FIGS. 11A-13 show another embodiment of a tapered joint 60′ according tothe present disclosure that may be used with any of the beam sections18, 20, 22, 24, 26. That tapered joint 60′ includes an engagementstructure having multiple projections or projection parts, such as firstand second projection parts 62 a′ and 62 b′ formed on one beam section,such as first end section 24′, and a socket 64′ formed on the adjacentbeam section, such as driver side section 20′. Furthermore, the socket64′ is configured to receive the multiple projection parts 62 a′ and 62b′. In this embodiment, an outer surface of the first projection part 62a′ and an outer surface of the second projection part 62 b′ define ataper angle α′ in the first direction 66 a in the range of 1 to 10° or 2to 7.5° (e.g., 4.7°), and the socket 64′ is also tapered in the firstdirection 66 a at an angle in the range of 1 to 10° or 2 to 7.5° (e.g.,4.7°). In addition, the outer surface of the first projection part 62 a′and the outer surface of the second projection part 62 b′ define a taperangle β′ in the second direction 68 b in the range of 10 to 45° or 20 to40° (e.g., 30°), and the socket 64′ is also tapered in the seconddirection 68 b at an angle in the range of 10 to 45° or 20 to 40° (e.g.,30°) °. As another example, the taper angles α′ and β′ of the engagementstructure may each be within any suitable range, and the correspondingtaper angles of the socket 64′ may each likewise be within any suitablerange.

Like the tapered joint 60, the tapered joint 60′ may also include anopening 70′ formed in each adjacent beam section, and the openings 70′are alignable with each other to receive a fastener 72′, such as a screwor bolt, when the cross car beam assembly 10′ is assembled together. Thefastener 72′ may therefore function as a secondary attachment means toassist in attaching adjacent beam sections together. In the embodimentshown in FIGS. 11A-13, the opening 70′ of the first end section 24′ isformed in an intermediate portion between the projection parts 62 a′ and62 b′, and the opening 70′ formed in the driver side section 20′ isformed in a tab positioned in the socket 64′.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11A-13, the projection parts 62 a′ and62 b′ and the intermediate portion on the first end section 24′cooperate to define a single projection. In another embodiment, theprojecting parts 62 a′ and 62 b′ may not be connected together by anintermediate portion, such that the projecting parts 62 a′ and 62 b′form separate projections.

Furthermore, like the tapered joint 60, each tapered joint 60′ mayinclude any suitable secondary or additional attachment means, ifdesired. For example, each tapered joint 60′ may be glued and/or weldedtogether.

Furthermore, any of the above described tapered joint configurations mayhave any suitable orientation. For example, any of the above describedtapered joints may be oriented laterally, as shown in FIGS. 6-13, orvertically (e.g., so that corresponding engagement structures andsockets are oriented vertically).

With the above described modular configuration, the same beam sections18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 may be used to make a cross car beam assembly 10for a left-hand-drive vehicle 12 or a right-hand-drive vehicle 12′. As aresult, the same tools (e.g., molds, presses, stamping tools, etc.) maybe used to make the same beam sections for each vehicle, and the driverside beam section 20 and the passenger side beam section 22 may bepositioned as needed to achieve the desired cross car beam assemblyconfiguration. Therefore, the above modular configuration may result insignificantly lower tooling costs compared to the tooling needed toproduce prior cross car beam assemblies for use with left-hand-drivevehicles and right-hand-drive vehicles.

Although tapered joints are described above in detail as exampleconnection means between adjacent beam sections 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, thebeam sections may be connected together in any suitable manner. Forexample, as mentioned above, adjacent beam sections 18, 20, 22, 24, 26may be connected together with one or more fasteners and/or one or morewelds. Furthermore, the above described tapered joints may be used withcross car beam assemblies that do not have the above described modularcharacteristic. In that regard, any of the above described tapered jointconfigurations may be used to connect together any two sections orportions of a crossbar beam assembly.

Furthermore, the above described tapered joint configurations may beused in any other suitable automotive application. For example, any ofthe above tapered joint configurations may be used to connect any of theabove described safety units (i.e., associated rigid members) torespective beam sections. As another example, any of the above taperedjoint configurations may be used to connect first and second portions orsections of a vehicle seat frame, vehicle frame (e.g., front or rearchassis sub frame), bumper crash beam (e.g., front or rear bumper crashbeam), or any other assembly that may have a structural joint. Stillfurther, any of the above described tapered joint configurations may beused in any other suitable non-automotive application. For example, anyof the above tapered joint configurations may be used to connect firstand second portions or sections of a building frame (e.g., house frameor office frame). Furthermore, any of the above described tapered jointconfigurations may have any suitable orientation when used in anysuitable application. For example, any of the above described taperedjoints may be oriented laterally, such as shown in FIGS. 6-13, orvertically (e.g., so that corresponding engagement structures andsockets are oriented vertically). In general, an assembly according tothe disclosure may include first and second sections that are connectedtogether by a tapered joint, wherein the tapered joint includes anengagement structure formed on the first section, and a socket formed onthe second section that receives the engagement structure. Furthermore,the engagement structure may be tapered in a first direction and asecond direction different than the first direction, and the socket mayalso be tapered in the first direction and the second direction.

While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended thatthese embodiments describe all possible forms according to thedisclosure. In that regard, the words used in the specification arewords of description rather than limitation, and it is understood thatvarious changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scopeof the disclosure. Additionally, the features of various implementingembodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of thedisclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A modular cross car beam assembly for use with avehicle, the cross car beam assembly comprising: an intermediate beamsection; a driver side beam section; and a passenger side beam section;wherein the driver side beam section and the passenger side beam sectionare attachable on either side of the intermediate beam section dependingon whether the vehicle is a left-hand-drive vehicle or aright-hand-drive vehicle.
 2. The modular cross car beam assembly ofclaim 1 wherein the driver side beam section comprises first and secondopposite ends that each have an attachment configuration, and thepassenger side beam section comprises first and second opposite endsthat each have an attachment configuration, and wherein the attachmentconfiguration at the first end of the driver side beam section is thesame as the attachment configuration at the first end of the passengerside beam section, and the attachment configuration at the second end ofthe driver side beam section is the same as the attachment configurationat the second end of the passenger side beam section to facilitateattachment of the side beam sections on either side of the intermediatebeam section.
 3. The modular cross car beam assembly of claim 1 whereinthe driver side beam section comprises first and second opposite endshaving mirror image configurations and the passenger side beam sectioncomprises first and second opposite ends having mirror imageconfigurations, and wherein the first end of the driver side beamsection has the same configuration as the first end of the passengerside beam section and the second end of the driver side beam section hasthe same configuration as the second end of the passenger side beamsection to facilitate attachment of the side beam sections on eitherside of the intermediate beam section.
 4. The cross car beam assembly ofclaim 1 further comprising: an end beam section including an upperportion configured to be connected to the driver side beam section orthe passenger side beam section, and a lower portion that is configuredto be spaced away from the intermediate beam section when the cross carbeam assembly is assembled together; and a safety unit configured to beconnected between the intermediate beam section and the lower portion ofthe end beam section, the safety unit including a rigid member that isconfigured to cooperate with the intermediate beam section and the lowerportion of the end beam section to provide continuous rigid structurefrom an outer end of the end beam section to an end of the intermediatebeam section opposite the safety unit when the cross car beam assemblyis assembled together.
 5. The cross car beam assembly of claim 4 whereinthe safety unit comprises an airbag assembly, and the rigid membercomprises at least a portion of a housing of the airbag assembly.
 6. Thecross car beam assembly of claim 1 further comprising: end beam sectionsthat are attachable to the driver side beam section and the passengerside beam section, each end beam section including an upper portionconfigured to be connected to the driver side beam section or thepassenger side beam section, and a lower portion that is configured tobe spaced away from the intermediate beam section when the cross carbeam assembly is assembled together; and safety units that are eachconfigured to be connected between the lower portion of a respective endbeam section and the intermediate beam section, each safety unitincluding a rigid member, wherein the rigid members are configured tocooperate with the lower portions of the end beam sections and theintermediate beam section to provide continuous rigid structure from anouter end of one end beam section to an outer end of the other end beamsection when the cross car beam assembly is assembled together.
 7. Thecross car beam assembly of claim 6 wherein at least one of the safetyunits comprises an airbag assembly.
 8. The cross car beam assembly ofclaim 7 wherein the rigid member of the at least one of the safety unitscomprises at least a portion of a housing of the airbag assembly.
 9. Thecross car beam assembly of claim 1 wherein the driver side beam sectionand the passenger side beam section are each configured to be connectedto the intermediate beam section by a tapered joint that is tapered intwo different directions.
 10. The cross car beam assembly of claim 9wherein the two directions include a first direction and a seconddirection that is generally transverse to the first direction.
 11. Thecross car beam assembly of claim 9 wherein each tapered joint is adovetail joint that includes one of a projection and a mortise on thedriver side beam section or the passenger side beam section, and theother of the projection and the mortise on the intermediate beamsection, wherein, for at least one of the tapered joints, the projectionis tapered in a first direction and a second direction different thanthe first direction, the mortise is also tapered in the first directionand the second direction, and the mortise is configured to slidablyreceive the projection.
 12. The cross car beam assembly of claim 11wherein each dovetail joint further includes one of an additionalprojection and an additional mortise on the driver side beam section orthe passenger side beam section, and the other of the additionalprojection and the additional mortise on the intermediate beam section,wherein each additional projection is tapered in two differentdirections, and each additional mortise is also tapered in two differentdirections, and wherein each additional mortise is configured toslidably receive a respective additional projection.
 13. The cross carbeam assembly of claim 11 wherein the intermediate beam section includesfirst and second openings at opposite ends of the intermediate beamsection, and the driver side beam section and the passenger side beamsection each include an opening that is alignable with one of theopenings of the intermediate beam section to receive a fastener.
 14. Thecross car beam assembly of claim 13 wherein each dovetail joint furtherincludes one of an additional projection and an additional mortise onthe driver side beam section or the passenger side beam section, and theother of the additional projection and the additional mortise on theintermediate beam section, wherein each additional projection is taperedin two different directions, and each additional mortise is also taperedin two different directions, wherein each additional mortise isconfigured to slidably receive a respective additional projection, andwherein, when the cross car beam assembly is assembled together, eachopening of the intermediate beam section is positioned between arespective projection and a respective additional projection.
 15. Thecross car beam assembly of claim 9 wherein each tapered joint includesan engagement structure on the driver side beam section or the passengerside beam section, and a socket formed on the intermediate beam sectionthat is configured to receive the engagement structure, and wherein, forat least one of the tapered joints, the engagement structure is taperedin a first direction and a second direction, and the socket is taperedin the first direction and the second direction.
 16. The cross car beamassembly of claim 15 wherein each engagement structure includes firstand second projection parts, and wherein each socket is configured toreceive the first and second projection parts of a respective engagementstructure.
 17. The cross car beam assembly of claim 9 wherein eachtapered joint includes an engagement structure formed on theintermediate beam section, and a socket formed on the driver side beamsection or the passenger side beam section that is configured to receivethe engagement structure, and wherein, for at least one of the taperedjoints, the engagement structure is tapered in a first direction and asecond direction, and the socket is tapered in the first direction andthe second direction.
 18. The cross car beam assembly of claim 1 whereinat least one of the intermediate beam section, the driver side beamsection, or the passenger side beam section comprises plastic.
 19. Thecross car beam assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of theintermediate beam section, the driver side beam section, or thepassenger side beam section comprises a composite material.
 20. Thecross car beam assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of theintermediate beam section, the driver side beam section, or thepassenger side beam section comprises metal.